Pain is the body’s warning of tissue damage. There are two primary causes of tissue damage: (1) mechanical damage from compression, tension, or torsion (twisting) and (2) chemical damage, resulting in inflammation in the tissues. (Severe temperature changes also result in chemical damage to the cells.) Dr. Moellendorf points out that by understanding the aberrant physiology causing the pain, the proper treatment to maximize healing can be determined.

Pain from compression, tension, and torsion is most often seen with improper movement in the joints of the body. Correcting the inappropriate motion can be done by manipulation of the joint to unlock or realign it, as done by the Chiropractic adjustment. This is the first step in the healing process. Dr. Moellendorf states patient comfort can be enhanced by the using ice and possibly proteolytic enzymes to reduce swelling, herbs such as passiflora and valerian to reduce the muscle spasm, and white willow bark or a TENS unit to reduce the pain. Dr. Moellendorf, along with many other natural health practitioners, has found that the use of these therapies often rivals the use of medications in controlling the pain without all the side effects.

In the case of chemical damage causing inflammation, the offending chemical exposure needs to be removed. For many inflammatory and auto-immune diseases, there is an allergy or sensitivity to a particular chemical. This is often seen with gluten sensitivity (from wheat, barley, or rye) in which the undigested gluten leads to an inflammatory response throughout the whole body. Removal of gluten from the diet can result in vast improvements in health and decreased pain for those who are sensitive.

Because patients often demand immediate relief for their pains, the doctor and the patient often resort to potent drugs to block the pain and quickly reduce the inflammation while ignoring the underlying cause of the pain. Quoting Dr. J G Moellendorf, DC, ND, LCP, “We suffer from a fractured health care system. Doctors have become so obsessed with treating symptoms that they forget to address the cause.”

The results of treating pain symptoms with potent drugs while ignoring causes were reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2011. While most causes of preventable death have been declining, deaths from painkillers have more than doubled in the past 10 years. Enough painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month. It was further noted that every year there are more drug deaths than traffic fatalities in the United States.

The LA Times news story was based on a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) titled: “Prescription Painkiller Overdoses at Epidemic Levels.” The CDC revealed that during the last 10 years, deaths from prescription painkiller overdoses more than tripled. Over 40 people die daily because of overdosing on hydrocodone (Vicodin), methadone, oxycodone (OxyContin), oxymorphone (Opana), and other narcotics. CDC Director Thomas Frieden stated, “Overdoses involving prescription painkillers are at epidemic levels and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined.”

Dr. Moellendorf relates that the basic premise of natural health care has always been: treat the cause, not the symptom. The underlying physiology causing the symptoms has to be understood to be able to render the best treatment possible. While there are many potent drugs that can alter or mask the symptoms, these rarely address the cause of the symptoms. Consideration of natural therapies to assist the healing process, while slower in the short run, are more beneficial for many patients in the long term.

Using the latest research findings, Moellendorf Chiropractic Office, Ltd. uses a comprehensive package of Chiropractic care, decompression traction therapy, active therapeutic movement training, cold laser therapy, and natural nutrition for the natural treatment of pain without drugs or surgery. Additional information about Chiropractic, Naturopathy, and other forms of natural health care has been provided by Moellendorf Chiropractic Office, Ltd. at http://www.all-about-wellness.com.

About: Dr. J G Moellendorf, DC, ND, LCP

Dr. J G Moellendorf, DC, ND, LCP attended the University of Wisconsin—Superior where he majored in Physics and Mathematics, with a minor in art photography. While attending the University of Minnesota—Minneapolis, he assisted in research on ribosomal proteins. Completing his Chiropractic studies at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, he graduated Cum Laude (with high honors) in 1983. He started Moellendorf Chiropractic Office, Ltd. in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in 1983. In 1996, Dr. Moellendorf was awarded his Doctorate in Naturopathy from Trinity School of Natural Health. In 2001, he received Chiropractic’s most prestigious award, the honorary Legion of Chiropractic Philosophers degree, for his thesis “The Workings of Innate Intelligence in Obsessive/Compulsive and Addictive Behaviors.” This paper was chosen for publishing in the book Philosophic Contemplations vol. 2 in 2002. In June of 2012, Dr. Moellendorf authored his first book titled Healthcare’s Best Kept Secret which can be ordered on Amazon. Dr. Moellendorf can be contacted by phone (920) 493-2126, fax (920) 743-1145, email jgmoellendorf(at)itol(dot)com, his website at http://www.all-about-wellness.com, or send a carrier pigeon to 44.84722N and 87.36416W.